


A Man of Faith

by 127774



Category: Elsewhere University (Webcomic)
Genre: A man of faith, Bargain, Christianity, God - Freeform, The Church, The Covenant - Freeform, The good neighbors, the Fair Folk, the archangel michael - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 13:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12255450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/127774/pseuds/127774
Summary: An elsewhere story about the power of faith and angels and demons. How could anyone say no to that? OK it's just people and the fae, but they could both pass for an angle or a demon.





	A Man of Faith

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy, also the Wyrm is only mentioned

A man of Faith  
Jacob waited feeling surprised at how calm he was, after all what if this didn't work? But then there was no way it couldn't. Eventually there was a knock on the door, he sighed and opened it to reveal a rather plain yet pretty young woman with soft brown hair. She was rather broad for a woman and looked fairly strong. To look at her was to think ‘farm girl’, the only thing wrong with this picture was the eyes. They looked almost human but there was a glint in them that spoke of hidden lands and far way places that could be found around the next tree. They were cruel and glittered like broken glass.

“Hello Mikey” Willow said and when she spoke it was with the accent of the little English village that Jacob called home.

That, he thought, really was overkill. Did it really believe that taking the form of his ideal woman would make him just drop his guard? Just like that? If anything it had been somewhat depressing to realise just how tame he was. Oh well.

“You can drop the act” he said with a sigh.

She smiled and… changed. Jacob watched with interest. It wasn't nearly as grotesque as he would have imagined. One form just sort of bled into another. When she had finished she was a great deal taller and rather thin. She seemed to mover like the branches of a willow tree in a gentle breeze and the voice was of rustling leaves. Her skin was the pale yellowish brown of willow wood and was streaked with delicate lines. He wondered if he were to count them, would that be the things age? 

She, and while these matters were a little haze with the gentry this one had defiantly taken a female form, reached out with a long fingered hand a stroked his cheek. He turned his face away, it's skin felt like the wood of a sauna and for just a moment, he smelt autumn bonfires. She laughed and it really was a beautiful sound, it could almost make you want to follow it.

“My dear darling Mikey, my sweet Michael. I've come for what's mine” Willow said with a smile “that was the deal, your soul for those poor missing students. It was so vary noble of you dearest”

The thing had wrapped his other arm around him and was pulling him in.

He sighed and said “Yes, my soul. Shall we go and get it?”

Willow narrowed her eyes and withdrew her arms saying “It's right here, with you. I can sense it”

Jacob laughed without humour and said “Yes I know, but I'm only minding it for it's rightful owner”

Their was a change in the atmosphere.

“Now, now there's no need for that” Jacob said “I told you that if you returned students taken by the Willowmen for the past five years with no further harm done to them from the moment the deal was struck, I would not prevent you from claiming my soul. I never actually said I was the one you had to claim it from. Shall we go and see if my master is willing to negotiate?”

With that he step out of his room and strode away, he knew it would follow him. It was nearly a twenty minute walk to their destination but to Jacob it seemed much longer. When they arrived he would be safe, when he was there no hellish creature, no vile demon would be able to touch him.

No. That was madness he thought, if he was safe there then he was safe anywhere. He slowed down and put his hands in his pockets as Willow caught him up.

“Out of curiosity, and the answer is only taken if it is freely given” he said “how many students have you taken over the past five years?”

She looked at him, head on one side and eventually said “I'm not certain, maybe around a hundred? It's so hard to keep track of them”

As they progressed Willow became more subdued and when the metal workers shed came into view she stopped dead.

“You, you belong to, to that thing?” She asked voice shaking.

Jacob chuckled and said “Afraid?”

“Of the Wyrm? Of course” she said.

He shook his head “Relax will you, we're not going to see the Wyrm. I doubt that thing understands ownership, beyond ‘death to any who take my treasure’. No we're just passing close to its territory”

Willow hesitated but eventually followed. As they approached the old English building bright red line became visible.

“Don't cross it” Jacob said nodding to the line “the wyrm is surprisingly lazy, if you don't set foot on what's it's then you're of no interest”

They walked in silence, the sound from the campus was was now only background noise. Eventually they entered a less tumbledown section of building. Jacob threw open the doors and stood on the threshold.

“And here we are, the house of my master” Jacob said grinning “Well, one of his houses”

Hanging from the opposite was plain wooden cross, perhaps six foot tall and completely unadorned. Jacob looked up at it, still smiling.

“This is a trick” Willow said taking a step backwards.

“Of course it is” Jacob said laughing “Did Jacob not trick his his father Isaac into giving him the blessing that by rights should have gone his brother Esau?”

Willow narrowed her eyes. He glanced behind him there were a few members of the Christian Union in there. They were watching as were a few students from the metalwork shed. 

“The lord God wants us to be quick and clever, to use cunning in the pursuit of his will” he said raising his voice to ensure it carried to all the observers “Have you ever heard of the covenant? It's an oath sworn by the faithful affirming their commitment to God. An oath sworn by our lord and saviour Jesus Christ, sealed by his blood spilled on the Cross. Reaffirmed by the faithful who take holy communion, who eat and drink the body and blood of Christ, and in their living blood the oath is sealed. An oath to give everything, mind, body and soul, to the Lord and in return we receive treasure in heaven. I swore my soul to the Lord, are you willing to step into this place, this holy ground, and try and take it?” 

It was a little overblown, alright a lot overblown, but, well, dramatic gestures had power out in the normal world and in this place? He smiled. He stepped down, Willow backed away.

“Spread the word, this place is protected and anyone seeking refuge is welcome here. You will not touch this place, you will not touch these people. If you harm the faithful or any who seek refuge with us in the name of the Lord will strike you down and you will know the true meaning of righteous fury”

Willow fled, that madman's soul was not worth this.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, also I quite enjoy this character and short stories rather suit me so there may more of the adventures of Jacob.


End file.
